Field Hockey: Wissahickon knocked out by Lower Dauphin

READING — From the outset, it was clear that the Wissahickon field hockey team would have its hands full.

Lower Dauphin scored 12 minutes into Saturday’s PIAA Class-3A quarterfinal, keeping the Trojans on their heels and keeping Wissahickon goalie Emoni Fisher busy, and added two more goals in the second half to go on to a 3-0 victory at neutral Exeter Township High School.

Wissahickon, the No. 4 team out of District One, couldn’t generate a shot on goal for the first 25 minutes of the contest.

“They’re a really solid team and they had the luxury of scouting us,” Wissahickon coach Lucy Gil said. “They did their homework. They knew they had to pressure our ball carriers. That’s been our bread and butter all year long, and they did a really good job of swarming the ball. They’re a tough team.”

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Abby Julius had a goal and an assist for the Falcons, the fourth club from District 3, who will face Emmaus in the state semifinals Tuesday. Hunter Bracale and Anna Smuda also scored, and Morgan Bitting ad Mary Kate Skitka contributed assists.

Bracale, a senior co-captain, put Lower Dauphin on the board early in the first half, netting a pass from Julius in traffic right in front of the cage.

The Falcons second — and perhaps most pivotal — goal came shortly after halftime. After Fisher made an incredible diving save and followed it up by deflecting another shot, Smuda scored on a restart after an injury timeout. But the Trojans were undermanned because they weren’t given an opportunity to substitute.

That goal was deflating for Wissahickon, which didn’t produce another shot the rest of the night. Julius followed it up a couple minutes later.

Still, the Trojans have to feel pretty good about the state of their program. They’ll lose some key seniors to graduation but most of their state-contending roster will be back next fall.

“I thought in the beginning we were holding our own and we had a chance,” Gil said. “We’re going to come back strong. I think it’s really good for our young kids to be involved in big games like this, because then they’ll be ready next year.”

Gil knows something about comebacks. She built Wissahickon into a perennial power over an eight-year span before leaving in 2010 for health reasons. Now, in her first year back, the Trojans came within two wins of reaching the state final.